Correspondence between members of the Bennett family, with some related material

  • This material is held at
  • Reference
      GB 206 Brotherton Collection MS 19c Bennett
  • Dates of Creation
      ca. 1840-1866
  • Name of Creator
  • Language of Material
      English
  • Physical Description
      Over 330 letters held in 2 boxes, 2 mounted photographs, and 2 sets of architectural plans held in 1 envelope.

Scope and Content

The letters include 16 from the writer J. Sheridan Le Fanu to Bessie Pigott Bennett (whose younger sister, Susan, he married in 1844); 47 from Margaret Decluzeau to Bessie Pigott Bennett; and about 270 from Lucy Caroline Cumming and others to Bessie Pigott Bennett. The photographs and plans are of the Bennett Sisters' house, 'Eastholme', built soon after 31 December 1866 in Wellington Square, Pittville, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, by George James Engall.

Administrative / Biographical History

J. Sheridan Le Fanu (1814-1873), the author. In 1844 he married Susan Bennett, the younger daughter of George Bennett, Q.C., a successful Dublin barrister. His writing was deeply affected by her early death in 1858. For fuller details of his life and achievements see the Dictionary of National Biography. Other details of this particular branch of the Bennett family are not available in reference sources.

Access Information

Access is unrestricted.

Acquisition Information

Purchased from Mrs S. Digby-Firth, August and September 1977.

Note

In English.

Other Finding Aids

A rough list of many of the letters, noting the main correspondents, the addresses from which many were written, the dates of writing where these are given, and the first few words of many of them, is kept with the archive. The letters are also included in the Letters database http://www.leeds.ac.uk/library/spcoll/letters/letlink.htm#bennett

Family Names